Week Two of the Aiken Fall Festival Horse Show started off with a couple of busy days at Highfields in beautiful Aiken, SC. Aiken is bustling with all of the equestrian competition in town as well as many fall events taking place in downtown Aiken. “It’s a great time to be in Aiken”, said show manager JP Godard. “The weather has been beautiful, there are festivals taking place downtown, and there are many charity events and special classes at the horse show this week”.
Aiken’s Casey Hodges and her 7 year old mare Finn Razel started their week off on a high note taking top honors in the $5,000 Welcome Stake on Thursday afternoon. Casey gave Finn Razel the week off during the previous week’s competition and it seemed her strategy worked to their advantage as the pair navigated the course flawlessly with two clear efforts. Michael Tokaruk and his Roger Rabbit took home second and My Elizabeth Webber and Available Action took third place honors rounding out the top three out of the original field of 20.
Friday evening’s action included a $3,000 6-Bar Class and a charity event benefitting the United Way of Aiken County. The VIP tent was full of spectators enjoying “High Steppin at Highfields”. The event featured a catered dinner by Newberry Hall, a silent auction, and live music by Preston and Weston. The 6-Bar competition started out the evening at 6 pm. The 6-Bar class is a unique event where riders jump six fences set in a straight line. Riders are either eliminated or penalized if they knock a rail down. After each round where more than one competitor goes clean or is tied for fewest faults, the six fences are raised in height each subsequent round until there is a winner.
Josh Dolan of Hilton Head, SC and his Skyland’s Con Chino Z made their 6-Bar debut and literally out jumped the competition! It came down to the 6th round with the jumps raised to the final hole on the jump standards at almost 6’. Aiken’s Angel Karolyi and his two entries Liza Horan’s Maldini and Diamond Edge Farm’s Claudy Bay Z along with Dolan were the final two riders standing. With Karolyi having a rail on both of his mounts, Josh Dolan and Skyland’s Con Chino Z wowed the crowd and jumped brilliantly to take top honors in the 6-Bar.
The Aiken Fall Festival continued on Saturday with lots of action in the hunter and jumper rings. The highlight of the day was the second annual Hunt Night which took place on the beautiful grass field. The course included such natural obstacles as a log jump, coop, and split rail fencing. Some of the Hunt Night winners and champions included: Open Hunters- Honor System and Dacia Johnson, Field Hunters- Debonair owned by Flying Color Partnership and ridden by Patti Brantley, Adult Hunter- Oscar and Cathy Chambers, Junior/Pony Hunter- Woode Do It and Sarah Chambers.
Top honors in the Handy Hunter Derby went to Oscar and Cathy Chambers and the winner of the hunt team class was Why Worry Hounds of Windsor, SC. A fun afternoon was had by all as the hunt night competitors and other exhibitors were treated to a reception sponsored by Merial, Ltd. and Jim Gibby under the VIP tent.
Sunday the final day of the two week series started off early with the traditional Governor’s Cup Medal Finals breakfast at 7:00 am provided by Equus Events and the Aiken Fall Festival Horse Show. The 2009 South Carolina Hunter Jumper Association Governors Cup Medal finals began at 8 am and featured 20 top equitation riders that have accumulated points all year long in order to be invited to this prestigious event. The beautiful and challenging course received rave reviews and was designed by Ohio native Joe Carnicom. Congratulations to Nicole Roos who is trained by Stella Prescott for taking home top honors in the Governors Cup. Sarah received a cooler, trophy, and her name engraved on the Governors Cup Perpetual Trophy. Sarah Brown took home second place honors, Caroline Ravenel was third, and Caroline Roberson rounded out the top four.
The $15,000 Jumper Classic along with the “Horsin’Around” benefit for Children’s Place of Aiken was the final highlight of the Aiken Fall Festival series. The crowd was treated to a dressage exhibition by Jasmine Farm’s Valerie Swygert, a southern luncheon, and the chance to win many raffle items with proceeds going to Children’s Place. The course was designed by JP Godard and featured 20 in the original field of entries. The class showed off Aiken’s talent as the top three placings were all local riders. Michael Tokaruk and Rodger Rabbit went early in the jump off and set the pace with a time of 40.568. The pressure was on for the final entry of Mclain Ward’s Galant and Angel Karolyi with Tokaruk still holding his lead. With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Karolyi piloted Galant to a thrilling finish in a time of 39.697 to take home the blue ribbon, cooler donated by Intergrity Linens, and trophy donated by the Farm House. He also placed fourth on Maldini and seventh on Claudy Bay Z. Tokaruk and Rodger Rabbit ended up second and Casey Hodges and Finn Razel took the third place ribbon.
Equus Events would like to thank all of the exhibitors, sponsors, and spectators for the 2009 Aiken Fall Festival. Special thanks go to Gold Sponsor Brook Ledge, Inc Horse Transportation, Silver Sponsors Equine Divine, The Farm House, and Integrity Linens, and Special Sponsors Merial, Ltd, Oak Manor Saddlery, Royal Champion Products, and Mrs. Pastures Horse Cookies.
For complete horse show results and information please go to www.equusevents.com or call 803-643-5698
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